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Linux for the Long Haul

Five years ago, I made one of the greatest life-changing decisions in my
career—I switched my organization to the GNU/Linux operating system
and supporting applications. It's not uncommon to read about businesses,
schools and other organizations making this switch; however, what
happens afterward? How do users adjust, and what about this total
cost of ownership (TCO) we always hear of? Is Linux really ready for the desktop?
Was it worth it to make the switch?

Figure 1. Our third-grade students have no trouble using Linux as part of
their lessons.

Figure 3. Stellarium is an example of the quality programs available in
open source.

Figure 4. When I couldn't find an open-source program that met our needs,
I wrote my own.

In 2002, Greater Houlton Christian Academy (GHCH) adopted Linux; you can
read the details as to why and how in the February 2003 issue of Linux
Journal. It's not an exaggeration when I describe this as a life-changing
decision, not just for me, but for the school as well. I used to be a
die-hard, Microsoft fanboy; now I use open-source software almost
exclusively. Our school, which once had a mish-mash of dilapidated,
old, donated computers that barely worked, now is recognized as being
a leader in our region because of our computer technology—all of this
from that fateful decision back in 2002.

Five years after the article was published, I find myself reflective, pondering where we've been
and wondering what the future holds. Did I make the right decision?
Would I do it again? There's much to consider in order to answer all
these questions. Because that decision initially was based on financial
need, let's first look at TCO.

Redmond Weighs In

Sometime after we adopted Linux, Redmond released a study claiming
that the TCO for Linux actually was higher than for Microsoft
Windows—even
though Linux can be obtained for free. Microsoft has been pushing this
idea ever since with its “Get the Facts” campaign. Had such a study
existed in 2002, I might have wavered on making the switch. After all,
price was the driving factor for us to use Linux in the first place. In
some ways, that initial decision was a desperate decision. Since then,
I've had time to consider TCO. So, was Redmond right?

The initial switch saved us money, because it allowed us to put what
funding we had directly into hardware while avoiding the Microsoft tax
(pre-installed Windows on computers). In fact, we could not have upgraded
our computers if we had to purchase proprietary software as well. That's
not to say there aren't some hidden costs in having the IT staff install
software on bare-bones hardware, but for us, the savings far outweighed
any extra labor costs. What is more important, however, is how using
Linux and open-source applications continues to save us money today.

But, before discussing this continued savings, I need to stress that software evolves. Applications improve, bugs and security
holes are patched (hopefully), and new technologies emerge. With proprietary software, it can be years between major releases,
and upgrading to that new release costs money. With open source,
applications are improved all the time. After making the initial
switch to Linux, one needs to consider how to keep up with the latest
patches, upgrades and releases.

Being a tweaker who loves to squeeze every bit of efficiency from my
computers, I was attracted to a distribution called Gentoo. Not only
did it allow me to optimize Linux and thousands of applications for
our computers, but also I found the package management system far superior
to other distributions I had played with. It also forced me to learn
the under-the-hood details about the Linux kernel, the GNU programs
and many other OS management techniques that have helped me as a Linux
administrator.

Speed Gives Life

Now, pay close attention, not only has Linux dramatically increased in
usability and features during the last five years, but on the same hardware,
it also has increased in speed. In other words, an upgrade really feels like
an upgrade! In retrospect, try this with Windows. Our current base of
computer hardware, which was modern in 2002, would not even run Vista,
let alone run it faster than XP. However, our latest Linux upgrade is noticeably
faster than the Linux we ran a few years back. In fact, our 2002 computers
that average 256MB of RAM feel faster and more responsive than today's
typical computers running Windows XP or Vista, and we have the latest
in open-source software installed.

So, let's finish our TCO analysis. Not only did switching to
Linux save us money in the initial switch, but also, every time I perform a
system upgrade by typing emerge -vauKD world (it's that easy), we're
saving money. We don't have to pay a company for every upgrade of every
application for every seat. More important, I'm not forced to throw
away good hardware and purchase new equipment in order to implement
my software upgrade cycle. If we were running a “Microsoft
shop”, I'd
have to retire almost every computer in our school and purchase all new
equipment in order to upgrade to Vista. Now that's an expensive upgrade.

Although money is a big deal to a private school, there obviously is more
to consider when switching an organization to a different operating
system. A major consideration of mine was the “free as in
freedom” roots
of the Free Software movement. As the school's system administrator
and the guy who has to make it all work, I have enjoyed this freedom
during the past five years. I've taken advantage of being able to access
and modify the source code. Many of my administrative duties have been
simplified by customizing Linux for our school setting. Whether it is
writing my own bootscripts or even creating my own software, I've been
able to tailor our computer network in ways that I just could not easily
or even legally do with proprietary software.

Windows Genuine Disadvantage

There also is a freedom from worry. I don't need to concern myself
with Windows Genuine Advantage, product activation and per-seat
licensing. With Linux, you don't need to worry about how many processors
your servers use or how many cores your next desktop computers will
have. You don't need to consider special license restrictions for
virtualization. You don't have to endure audits from the Business Software
Alliance. As our band teacher loves to say, “No worries!”

Freedom extends outside the four walls of our school as well. For example,
although OpenOffice.org can read and write Microsoft Word documents, the
real advantage is that I can provide a copy of this software freely to
any teacher or student, especially if that person can't afford to buy
Microsoft Office. Anything we do in the classroom, students can do at
home using their own copy of the free software we use. This gives us a
tremendous advantage as an educational institution.

There's something else I consider when thinking about freedom—the
freedom to access my data. I personally don't mind the existence of
proprietary software in the world, but I strongly oppose proprietary
standards and protocols that lock users from their own data. I want our
documents, whether they be school records or a student's homework, to be
accessible via an open and well-documented format. A recent experience
in trying to access my own data stuck in a locked, proprietary format
has made me appreciate all the more the true strength of open software
and standards—freedom!

Five years is a long time to consider the wisdom of a decision. As the
school's system administrator, I shoulder the burden of maintaining
our computers, our network and our servers. What has it been like
administering Linux since the switch? I'll be honest. There have been
times when I've spent days trying to get something working right in
Linux. However, I still use Windows enough to know that administering a
Windows network isn't all cake and ice cream either. My experience with
Linux is that once a setup is working, it stays working. Sometimes the initial setup
takes longer, but once everything is configured right, it just works
and works well. With distributions like Ubuntu, even that initial setup
is becoming easier.

The Real Customers

Now, let's talk about the users of our Linux desktops. I'm
a teacher as well, so I have to use Linux in the same way our teachers
and students use it. That said, I'm a geek, and sometimes we geeks
need to see the world through the eyes of a typical user. Personally,
I love using Linux! I'm using it right now to type this article, and
never do I think, “Oh, how I miss Microsoft Word.” Never!

In fact, it's when I'm in a Windows environment that I find myself missing
this feature or that feature. This is why the argument that says Linux is
playing catchup with Windows is so flawed. Sure, Linux uses a mouse and
icons and menus exactly like Windows does, but what else would we use? Is
a hybrid car not innovative just because it uses a steering wheel like
every other car? I say, “hogwash!” Many features found in
open-source software are innovative, many of which only recently,
if at all, have found their way into Windows. For example, I love my
multiple desktops, and my productivity suffers without them. I love
tabbed browsing and have used it for years. I love KDE, but even more
important, I love how the desktop environment is not welded to the
operating system. Users can chose KDE or GNOME or IceWM or have no GUI
at all (great for servers and robots). I love, love, love the power of
the Bourne-Again shell (Bash). I could spend the entire article sharing
wonderful features that are unique to Linux. However, let's get back on track.

My experience has been that average adult computer users don't
understand or even care about the power of multiple desktops, scriptable
shells and so forth. For them, using a computer is a means to an end. They have
a job to do, and the less the computer gets in the way, the
better. The challenge comes when adults are faced with the unfamiliar. I
stress adults here, because working with children and teenagers has been
a totally different experience. Second-graders come into the lab and, with
ease, use Linux to perform any task they would in Windows or Mac OS
X. Teenagers line up and ask me to burn them Linux CDs for their home
computers. However, most of you reading this probably deal with adults,
and we adults are often old dogs.

They say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I don't agree
with that, but sometimes old dogs do growl and fuss and even bite when
forced to learn those new tricks. This can be especially true if
the users aren't very computer-savvy to begin with. This means they
are relying on icons, menus and options being at specific places and
doing specific things. For this reason, many open-source programs
try to replicate the feel of software with which the majority of adults are
familiar. This is understandable, and it makes the transition easier
than you might think. Although I had a few instances of resistance when we
first switched to open-source software, most of the staff adapted
quite well. Training is needed, but that mechanism already should be in
place, regardless of what software an organization uses. Software and
user interfaces change over time, and users find themselves adapting,
regardless of whether the switch is to Linux or the latest version of
Windows. Although adults often resist change, they can change. Actually,
after a little time, they become comfortable with the change and
may even be glad for the change. I know many average computer users who
now sing the praises of OpenOffice.org Writer, for example.

It has probably become apparent that during these last five years, I've
become an advocate for Linux and open-source software in general. However,
it would be dishonest of me to sing praises only without revealing the
pitfalls I've encountered over the years.

The Downside

As the system administrator, a real thorn in my side has been hardware
compatibility. I've had little problem installing Linux on a variety of
computers, but peripherals such as printers, scanners and Webcams can be a
serious pain in the neck. Too many hours have been wasted trying to get
unsupported hardware to work. However, the lesson here is to
buy only from vendors who support Linux with drivers and/or detailed
specifications. As more organizations adopt Linux, vendors either will have
to support Linux or lose their business to those who do.

Something I find as irritating as the giant Maine mosquito is the
use of proprietary protocols, standards and codecs that exclude Linux
users from certain parts of the Internet. The Internet was built on
open protocols, and it probably wouldn't exist in any meaningful way
today if it had been locked up with proprietary standards owned by
individual companies. Yet, there still are Web sites and services using
closed protocols. It is highly frustrating when we cannot access on-line
content because we don't have a proprietary plugin, such as ActiveX or Adobe
Shockwave. For example, our school wants to use an on-line education tool
to enhance our curriculum, but the company that offers this tool relies
on Shockwave. So we are “locked out” because of this one missing piece.

Finally, a lack of key commercial software is a real issue.
Some good people in the Free Software community don't want commercial
software on Linux, but I have to be more pragmatic. When there is a fine
open-source alternative to a key commercial product (such as with OpenOffice.org
and Microsoft Office), I am happy to use it. Unfortunately, not all
proprietary software has a good open-source equivalent. Until there is,
the solution isn't eloquent. GHCA has a single Windows machine in our
office for the sole purpose of running Intuit's QuickBooks. I suppose
we could use Wine, but that brings its own headaches.

Despite these pitfalls, I have no regrets. Let's look at those big
questions again. Is Linux ready for the desktop? Yes. Our teachers and
students have been using Linux on the desktop successfully for the last
five years. What about TCO? Every organization is
unique, but Linux has saved us many thousands of dollars, and we're
a small school! Have users adjusted? Absolutely. Was it worth the
switch? There is no doubt in my mind. That's not to say there haven't
been bumps in the road, but to quote Robert Frost, “I took the [road]
less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” I look forward
to where this road we call Linux will lead us in the future.

Michael Surran is the head of GHCA's Computer Science department. He
is responsible for building and maintaining GHCA's Linux network,
and he teaches Computer Programming, Computer Technology, Research
and Presentation, and the CS electives. Surran promotes open source in
education both locally and regionally through newscasts and seminars.